Disability Burnout is Real

Left unchecked, disability burnout can completely take over your life.

Sheri Byrne-Haber, CPACC
5 min readDec 12, 2019

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Disability burnout is a state of physical or emotional exhaustion caused by or made worse by a disability. Symptoms include:

  • feelings of exhaustion
  • inability or difficulty in focusing or prioritizing
  • exacerbation of one’s underlying health conditions
  • creation of new, co-morbid health conditions (clinical depression, for example, that accompanies a physical disability)

Disability burnout can involve a sense of reduced accomplishment and can also have a seriously detrimental effect an individual’s physical or mental health. It is an insidious condition that can happen slowly, over a long period of time. But the consequences can be life-altering, which is why it’s important to spot the signs of disability burnout early.

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Sheri Byrne-Haber, CPACC

LinkedIn Top Voice for Social Impact 2022. UX Collective Author of the Year 2020. Disability Inclusion SME. Sr Staff Accessibility Architect @ VMware.